Serpentine corrugated arc product coolers



May 8, 1962 w. A. CARTER SERPENTINE CORRUGATED ARC PRODUCT COOLERS Filed May 4.A 1960 ull' ICE- 5.

3,033,961 SERPENTINE CORRUGATED ARC PRODUCT COOLERS William A. Carter, Chester, Pa., assigner to I-T-E Circuit Breaker Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 4, 1960, Ser. No. 26,855 Claims. (Cl. 2ML-144) This invention relates to an arc product cooler which is corrugated, and the corrugations extend in a serpentine path, and is va continuation-impart application of my copending application Serial No. 798,512 tiled March 10, 1959, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and now abandoned.

When air'magnetic circuit breakers are called upon to interrupt high values of current, gaseous products are formed in and above the interrupter chamber. The conductivity of these gaseous products often results in the `formation of a power `arc outside of the arc chute between the runners or from either runner to a grounded component. The purpose of the present invention is to provide means for cooling and thereby deionizing these gaseous products to such an extent that the application of voltage to the runners of the interrupting chamber will not cause a power arc.

The prior art has attempted to bring about the rapid cooling and deionization of the gaseous arcing products by closely spacing the interrupter plates or by extending the length and width of the plates so as to increase its surface area. Another approach utilized by the prior art to minimize the possibility of power arcs externally of the interruptor chamber has been to isolate the gaseous arc plates from any grounded parts by means of barriers.

In the device of the instant invention, corrugated plates are disposed in the spaces between the arc plates of the conventional parallel plate arc interrupting means. The corrugated or cooler plates are constructed of copper with the flutes thereof extending in the direction of the axes of the elongated arc plates. The marginal edges of the corrugated members are clamped between the arc plates and the means for spacing the arc plates so that the cooler plates are supported in insulating relationship from each other. The'eiectiveness of the cooler plates is increased by virtue of the corrugations which provide an increased surface area and also provide irregular edges which create turbulence in the gas iow.

The amount of energy which the cooler plates can absorb is a function of their thickness and the total exposed surface area. However, in order not to unduly restrict the flow of gases through the chute, the cooler plates are actually very thin, preferably being in the order of 0.010 inch in thickness. The cooling platesl are still capable of absorbing a considerable amount of thermal -enegy, however, thereby cooling the gaseous arcing products and bringing about the rapid deionization thereof. v

rThe cooling plates are self-supporting and are also installed in a manner such that the dielectric strength of the interrupting chamber will not be lowered. The construction of the cooling plates and their positions is such that the flow of air through the interrupting chamber is not restricted even though the entire volume of gas exhausted from the top of the interrupting chamber is subjected to the cooling action of the corrugated plates.

' I have found that by causing the flutes of the corrugated cooler to run in a serpentine path, the eliciency of the cooling plates is substantially increased, since in the same length of cooling plate the gas is caused to travel over a longer surface.

Accordingly, a primary object of the instant invention 3,033,961 Patented May 8, 1962 2 is to provide a novel arc extinguishing means whereby the gaseous arcing products are rapidly cooled and deionized.

Another object is to provide a novel arc extinguishing means including corrugated cooling members which are positioned in the spaces between the arc plates, and are constructed so as not to restrict the iiow of air through the interrupter chamber.

Still another object is to provide a novel arc extinguishing means including metallic cooler members which are self-supporting and positioned so as not to lower the dielectric strength of the interrupter chamber.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel corrugated cooling member wherein the corrugations extend in a serpentine path.

Yet a further object of this invention is to increase the eiiciency of a corrugated arc product cooler by causing the flutes thereof to be serpentine in direction.

These as well as other objects of the instant invention shall become readily apparent after reading the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a side elevation of an interruptor unit With the near side of theA arc chute shell removed.

FIGURE 2 is -a fragmentary cross-section of the arc chute of FIGURE 1 taken through line 2-2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section taken through line 3 3 of FIGURE l looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of one of the novel corrugated cooler plates of the present invention.

Referring now to the figures, circuit breaker 1i) comprises a lower stud 11 and an upper stud 12 to which external circuit connections are made. Stationary arcing contact 13 and stationary main contact 14 are mounted at the end of upper stud 12. Bridging member 15 is pivotally mounted to lower stud 11 at 16. Member 17 is pivotally mounted to the free end of bridging member 18 and is biased in a counterclockwise direction by conventional means (not shown).

Movable main contact 19 is mounted directly to bridging member 15 near the free end thereof and is engageable with and disengageable from stationary main contact 14. Movable arcing contact 21 is mounted to member 17 being engageable with and disengageable from stationary arcing contact 13. Thus, when the circuit breaker 11i is operated from the closed position of FIG- URE 1 to an open position (not shown), by moving v'bridge 1'5 clockwise about pivot 16, main contacts 14, 19 will disengage before the disengagement of arcing contacts 13, 21, and upon the operation of circuit breaker 1li from the open position to the closed position, arcing contacts 13, 2,1 will engage prior to the engagement of main contacts 14', 19.

Arc extinguishing means 3()` is operatively positioned above cooperating contacts 13, 21 to receive lan electric current arc formed between these contacts upon disengagement thereof with the arc Abeing forced into the arc interrupting means 36 by a conventional magnetic means (not shown) which may be of the type illustrated in U.S. Patent 2,831,946 assigned to the assignee of the instant invention. Arc extinguishing means 3) comprises a rear arc runner 31 positioned in the region of stationary contacts 13, 14 With jump gap 32 being interposed between rear runner 31 and stationary arcing contact 13. Rear arc runner 31 is positioned at one end of arc chute 32 while front arc runner 33 is positioned at the other end of are chute 32. Tie rod 34 provides a direct electrical connection between lower current stud 11 and lower arc runner 33.

Arc chute 32. comprises a shell 35 having a plurality of insulating arcing plates 36 disposed therein. A resilient spacer 37, of the type disclosed in the Allen E. Stringfellow copending application 646,259, tiled March 15, 1957, now Patent No. 2,959,653 issued November 8, 1960, entitled Arc Plates Having Resilient Flanges, and assigned to the `assignee of the instant invention, is associated with each of the arcing plates and maintains plates 36 in spaced parallel relationship. Wedging means (not shown) of the type disclosed in the Arthur S. Caswell copending application 643,192, -led February 28, 1957, now Patent No. 2,905,792 issued September 24, 1959, entitled Arc Chute Construction Having Resilient Spacing Means, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention partially compress the resilient spacers 37 to maintain arc plates 36 in position.

A cooler plate 40 is disposed within each of the spaces formed between adjacent arc plates 36. Each of the cooler plates 40 is constructed of thin copper material so that its Iweight is extremely small and it is self-supported by having the marginal edge 41 thereof clamped'between an arcrplate 36 and a spacer 37. Alternate crowns 43, that is, the crowns on one side ofthe cooler plate 40, abut one arcing plate 36 while the remaining crowns 44, that is, the

l crowns on the other side of cooler plate 4l), abut the adjacent arcing plate 36.

Arcing plates 36 are elongated members and the cooler plates 40 are positioned with the flutes 45 thereof extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of arc plates 36.

Itis preferable, though not essential, to position the lower edge 46 of each cooler plate 40 at a point approximately midway between the ends of the arcing plates 36. The cooler plates are considerably shorter than the arcing plates 46 so that the top edges 47 of cooler plates 40 are positioned below the tops of arc plates 36.

lt will be noted that the corrugations of the cooler plate 40 are caused to be serpentine whereby the arc gases running up the surface of the plate run over a longer surface area than when the corrugations are straight, as in application Serial No. 798,512, now abandoned, on which the present application is based. While the flutes can have any serpentine shape such that the length of any flute is longer than the dimension between the ends of the plates, in FIGURE 4 I specically show the grooves as weaving into and out `of a plane which is perpendicular to the surface of the cooler plate and arc plates.

Positioned at the top of arc chute 32. is a gas deecting means 50 having lateral deflectors 51, 52 extending in opposite directions. Since deecting means 50 forms no part of the instant invention further description is not given. A defiecting means of this type is illustrated in my copending application Serial No. 779,419, filed December 10, 1959, now abandoned, entitled Alternate Lateral Deflecting Means For Arc Products, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention.

When circuit breaker l@ is operated to the open position an arc is drawn between cooperating contacts i3, 21. The arc is forced into arc chute 32 Where arc plates 36 force the arc to take a tortuous elongated path. The gaseous products formed by the arc are considerably ionized.

As these gaseous products rise from the bottom to the top of arc chute 32 they come in intimate contact with corrugated plates 40 whose high thermal conductivity and large surface area rapidly cool and deionize the gaseous products thereby preventing a power arc from striking vbetween arc runners 31, 33 or between either runner 31,

33 and ground. The corrugated lower edges 46 of cooler plates 4t) cause a turbulence in the gas which contributes to the cooling thereof.

Although I have here described preferred embodiments of my novel invention, many variations and modilications will now be apparent to those skilled in the art, and I therefore prefer to lbe limited, not by the specificY disclo sure herein, but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. An arc extinguishing means comprising a plurality of elongated arc plates arranged in spaced relationship and in the spaces between arc plates, corrugated members; each of said corrugated members having the tintes thereof extending in the direction of the longitudinal axes of said arc plates; each of said arc plates being notched at a IlrSt end thereof adapted to be positioned adjacent to cooperating contacts of a circuit interrupter; said corrugated members being positioned at a second end of said arc plates; said ilutes having a serpentine conguration.

2. An arc extinguishing means comprising a plurality of elongated arc plates arranged in spaced relationship and in the spaces between `arc plates, corrugated members; each of said corrugated members having the flutes thereof extending in the direction of the longitudinal axes of said arc plates; each of said arc plates being notched at a first end thereof `adapted to be positioned adjacent to cooperating contacts of a circuit interrupter; said corrugated members -being positioned at a second end of said arc plates; each of said corrugated members having alternate crowns thereof abutting one of the two 4arc plates between which the corrugated member in question is disposed and the remaining crowns of the corrugated member abuttingA the other of said two arc plates; said llutes being serpentine in direction and Weaving into and out of a plane extending perpendicular from the surface of said corrugated members.

3. An arc extinguishing means comprising a plurality of elongated arc plates arranged in spaced relationship and in the spaces between arc plates, cornlgated members; each of said corrugated members having the flutes thereof extending in the direction of the longitudinal axes of said arc plates; each of said are plates being notchedrat a first end thereof adapted to be positioned adjacent to cooperating contacts of a circuit interrupter; said corrugated members being positioned at a second end of said arc plates; each of said corrugated members having alternate crowns thereof abutting one of the two aro plates between which the corrugated member in question is disposed Vand the remaining crowns of the corrugated member abutting the other of said two arc plates; said corrugated members being constructed of a metallic material; said arc plates constructed of an insulating material, said llutes extending along a serpentine path.

4. An arc extinguishing means comprising a plurality of arc plates, spacing means operatively positioning said arc plates in spaced relationship, and, in the spaces between said arc plates, cooler plates; each of said spaces having an elongated cross-section; each of said cooler plates extending across substantially the entire crosssection width of the space within which the cooler plate in question is disposed; said cooler plates being maintained in position by having the marginal edges thereof clamped between said spacing means and arc plates; said lutes being serpentine in direction and weaving into and out of a plane extending perpendicular from said arc plates.

5. An are extinguishing means comprising a plurality of arc plates, spacing means operatively positioning said arc plates in spaced relationship, and, in the spaces between said arc plates, cooler plates; each of said spaces having an elongated cross-section; each of said cooler plates extending across substantially the entire cross-section width of the space within which the cooler plate in question is disposed; said cooler plates being maintained in position by having the marginal edges thereof clamped between said spacing means and arc plates; each of said cooling plates comprising a thin metallic corrugated member; each of said arc plates comprising an elongated insulating member; each of said cooler plates having the liutes thereof extending in the direction of the longitudinal axes of said arc plates; said llutes extending in said direction of said longitudinal axes of said arc plates havingv a serpentine direction; said flutes weaving into and out of a plane perpendicular to said arc plates, and extending along said longitudinal axes of said arc plates.

6. In a circuit breaker the combination comprising a pair of cooperating contacts operable into and out of engagement and `an arc extinguishing means operatively positioned to receive and extinguish an electric current arc drawn between said cooperating contacts when said circuit breaker interrupts current iiowing in a circuit; said arc extinguishing means comprising spacing means operatively positioning said arc plates in spaced relationship, and, in the spaces between said arc plates, cooler plates; each of said cooler plates extending across substantially the entire cross-section width of the space within which the cooler plate in question is disposed; each of said cooling plates comprising a thin metallic corrugated member whose marginal edges are clamped between said spacing means and arc plates; each of said arc plates comprising an elongated insulating member; each of said cooler plates having the liutes thereof extending in the direction of the longitudinal axes of said arc plates, each of said arc plates being notched at a rst end thereof adapted to be positioned adjacent to cooperating contacts of a circuit interrupter; said corrugated members being positioned at a second end of said arc plates; said utes extending in said direction of said longitudinal axes of said arc plates having a serpentine direction; said flutes weaving into and out of a plane perpendicular to said arc plates, and extending along said longitudinal axes of said arc plates.

7. An arc product cooler; said arc product cooler cornprising a conductive sheet having corrugations therein; said corrugations extending along the full length of said sheets; said corrugations extending in a serpentine path and being parallel to one another.

8. An are product cooler; said arc product cooler comprising a conductive sheet having corrugations therein; said corrugations extending along the full length of said sheet; said corrugations extending in a serpentine path and being parallel to one another; said serpentine path weaving into and out of a plane extending perpendicular to the surface of said 4conductive sheet and along the said length of said sheet.

9. An arc product cooler; said arc product cooler comprising a conductive sheet having corrugations therein; said corrugations extending along the full length of said sheets; said corrugations extending in a serpentine path and being parallel to one another; said serpentine path weaving into and out of a plane extending perpendicular to the surface of said conductive sheet and along the said length of said sheet; said conductive sheet having a thickness of the order of 1/100 of an inch.

10. An arc product cooler; said are product cooler comprising a conductive sheet having corrugations therein; said corrugations extending along the full length of said sheets; said corrugations extending in a serpentine path and being parallel to one another; said serpentine path weaving into and out of a plane extending perpendicular to the surface of said conductive sheet and along the said length of said sheet; said conductive sheet having a thickness of the order of %00 of an inch; said conductive sheet being copper.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,215,797 Sauer Sept. 24, 1940 2,272,380 Ludwig et al. Feb. 10, 1942 2,293,513 Linde Aug. 18, 1942 2,615,109 -Favre Oct. 21, 1952 2,639,353 Jansson May 19, 1953 2,783,336 Latour Feb. 26, 1957 2,847,540 Pfeiier et al. Aug. l2, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,113,443 France Dec. 5, 1955 1,160,990 France Mar. 10, 1958 

